Image

From the Poughkeepsie Journal, an opinion piece by officials from several service providers -- Jeffery Fox, Ph.D., Abilities First; Neil Pollack, Anderson Center for Autism; Gerard Dohrenwend, Cerebral Palsy of Ulster County; Vicki Sylvester, Ph.D., Community Based Services; Samuel Laganaro, New Horizons Resources, and Crys McCuin, The Arc of Dutchess.

 

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's plans to increase the minimum wage across New York State to $15 an hour incrementally by 2021 are well-known, and we commend this action. Doing so will make the minimum wage a living wage, so even the lowest-paid workers in the state can adequately support themselves and their families.

 

The plan appears to benefit those members of society that are in the lowest-paying jobs and providing some of the most important services. This includes workers who provide direct service and support to people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD).